


Shallow

by suzannahbee123



Category: A Star is Born (2018), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fluff and Angst, Gen, angst and murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 10:36:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16427729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzannahbee123/pseuds/suzannahbee123
Summary: Superstar Jackson Maine was all about living his second chance with his Superstar Rising wife, Ally. A chance encounter with a stranger names James will change everything…





	Shallow

**Author's Note:**

> The lines in bold are song lyrics from the song "Shallow" from the A Star is Born soundtrack.

They say that you can drown in just six inches of water (less than that, if you’re a child). James Buchanan Barnes knew this to be true. Both because he had killed people by drowning and then set up their corpses to look like they had drowned in such an “accidental” way, and, because he felt like this must be what it would feel like… drowning in such a small amount of shallow water… it could be easy to escape if you knew how or the opportunity presented itself.

It never would, however.

Project Insight had been a success. Millions of people wiped out in the space of a few days. The Avengers, and other powerful groups, held accountable and imprisoned. Law enforcement and military of all levels were quickly placed under the ultimate command of HYDRA and their ilk. The world changed dramatically in the space of a few short months. To look at it now though, in the year 2018? You would think the wholesale slaughter of so many innocent lives and capture and imprisonment of more would cause a total shift in the dynamics of how the world worked, wouldn’t you?

You would be wrong.

The whole point of Project Insight, was to weed out the dissidents and rebels and those who did not share the same ideals as HYDRA and leave only those who would work with them or bow down to them. Now, the world carried on as if nothing had happened. Only now, everyone was under such total control that they had no idea it was even there, completely happy to be living in such ignorance.

James Buchanan Barnes did not know this luxury.

After the success of the process that would make a weapon like The Winter Soldier obsolete, HYDRA didn’t destroy him, as you would assume. To have a machine that was really a man, who could still kill those who may yet try and rise up and overthrow the subtle rulers of the world… The Winter Soldier was invaluable.

So they put him in the chair, over and over. Devised new methods of controlling him, forcing his brain to be both completely open to suggestion that he could follow orders without question and to still be able to think for himself should any mission go awry.

HYDRA were again successful, but in this they were perhaps slightly _too_ successful. The Winter Soldier reigned supreme, no longer even requiring the chair to follow orders. He was now a completely free thinking and order following, deadly, machine.  The Winter Soldier ate, slept, kept his body in peak physical condition and attended all training that he was mandated to. A perfect Asset.

James Buchanan Barnes still lived, however, trapped forever, in the confines of his own head where he could see and hear everything that happened around him. His voice was never heard, his thoughts were his own but they held no sway over the invader in his body.

James Buchanan Barnes was forever trapped in his own head with no way out and no one to help him.

***

“You wish for me to kill this singer? Why?” The Winter Soldier asked Alexander Pierce who pointed to a brunette lady next to the tall, blue eyed man stood next to her.

“This woman is going to be the next big star the world has ever known. Zola’s algorithms say that, soon, the world will start to strain against our leadership and we could be on the brink of rebellion. Ally will be the one to sway the masses, one way or another. Her husband, however? He will not be swayed for much longer, especially after his rehab. If he goes under mysterious circumstances? Ally will absolutely be on our side.”

_Please don’t! This isn’t a politician or a business mogul! They are just singers, please stop following his orders!_

“Mission parameters?” The Winter Soldier asked, dispassionately.

“Make it look like a… clumsy, suicide.”

_There! See?! How can you not see that look in his eye?! Pierce is up to something you asshole and we can’t do this! Please, STOP!_

The Winter Soldier nodded to his superiors and left the room, unaware of the screaming in his head.

***

Jackson Maine was sat on his couch, waiting for the car to come and take him to Ally and to her show for tonight where they would sing together for the first time for a long time. Spinning his hat in his hands, his head snapped up in alarm when he heard, faintly, the distinct sound of a car horn blaring repeatedly. Patting his dogs head, he made his way to the front door.

As soon as he opened it, he could hear it. Out on the road, someone was honking their horn, trying to get attention.

“Goddamn it… c’mon, boy. We’re the only ones out here for miles, best go see what’s up.”

Jack walked up the path and onto the road. It only took him a few minutes to find the source of the noise. Some poor asshole’s car had gone and given up on him, smoke was coming up from the hood and he was just stood there, palm flat against the steering wheel and pressing on that horn like it was his lifeline.

“Hey! You can quit it, now!”

Ice blue eyes met his own pair and Jack gave a small smile. “So, what’s happened to your truck?”

“Aw, hey. Do you live around here? I am so sorry that I made such a racket but this piece of junk died on me and my damn phone is dead and I don’t have no fucking clue where I even am, I was just trying to get to this show tonight and-”

And there it was, the recognition that Jack had been waiting to see.

“Oh, hell. You’re- and your wife is- and you just-!”

“That’s me.” Jack held up his hand and chuckled ruefully, “I’m Jackson Maine, my wife is Ally and I pissed myself at her Grammy win before I was hauled off to rehab. Pleased to meet you.”

“Oh God!” The stranger looked mortified and Jack laughed again. “I am so sorry! I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine. Do you need me to call a tow truck?”

“Would you?!” The stranger looked so relieved and Jack chuckled again, pulling out his phone. “Honestly, I am so grateful to ya. I thought I would be able to fare better out here in the wild. I’m James, by the way.”

They shook hands and Jack gave the details of the car to his assistant on the end of the phone and hung up.

“Well, it’s going to be a while before they get here. You want a coffee or water or something?” Jack knew he was going to get his ass kicked by Ally for bringing a fan into their home, but, to be honest, after the day he had had… after her manager… Jack didn’t want to be alone and there was only so much a dog could do to cheer him up and keep him distracted.

“You don’t mind?” James asked, uncertainty in his bright blue eyes. “I don’t want to intrude, you’ve already been so helpful to me and you really didn’t have to be.”

“Hey, as long as you ain’t no axe murderer, I think we’ll be fine.”

James smiled in relief. “Nope. Definitely _not_ an axe murderer.”

***

“So, James.” Jack asked, trying to break the awkward silence in the room now that they both had drinks in front of them and James was trying hard (and failing hard) to not look at everything in his home. “Where you from? I’m guessing one of the big cities if you think _this_ is the wild.”

“Uh, yeah. Brooklyn, New York, actually.”

“I like New York. Got a good vibe to it.”

“Yeah it does.” James shifted awkwardly. “Look, I feel bad. You’re going through stuff right now and I am _totally_ one of those intruding fans and I’ll just go back and wait in the truck. Thanks for your hospitality, though. You’re a gent.”

“Hey, don’t go, c’mon, man. Just stay.” They looked at each other and Jack had no idea why but the words just spilled from his mouth. “I could’ve ruined her career, you know that? My beautiful wife, she’s so talented and amazing and I nearly fucked it all up for her. Her manager wants me out of her life, her dad doesn’t trust me anymore. My own brother… damn. I had everything and I could’ve lost it, y’know?”

James stared intently at him, not saying a word and with absolutely no judgement in his eyes. Jack didn’t realise just how much he needed that, for someone to listen and have absolutely no ulterior motive for doing so. Therapists were _paid_ to listen and he always thought that they were secretly trying to wheedle secrets out of him to sell to the tabloids. His brother just wanted his apology and to move on.

Ally tried, he _knew_ she did, but Ally had her own rising star to nurture and he _hated_ that he was affecting her career. Her world tour was put on hold and that was because of him.

“It would be so easy for me to hate myself. To give in and just drink again, take those pills again. Just let Ally hate me and give her the reason she needs to divorce me and the label to drop me and the fans to stop buying my shit and… but I won’t do it. I’m like you, right now. Honking on that horn of life and getting everyone’s attention because, you know what? I ain’t through with life and these people don’t _get_ to be through with me. Ally and I? We’ll go down in history as the greatest couple in music, bringing everyone together with Ally’s song lyrics and my music and showing _everyone_ that they deserve that second chance.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Jack felt amazing. Lighter. He knew that it wouldn’t always last, there would be days that he would feel that _need_ again, the easy way out would call to him and he would have to spend _far_ too long thinking about why he _shouldn’t_ go down that route… but this? Right now? Jack had helped someone for no other reason than he could. He had his wife who loved him. A career that was still there, if he wanted it to be. A brother who may sometimes hate him but would always love him and be there for him.

Jackson Maine was only going up.

“Well then.” James raised his glass of water and clinked it against the side of Jack’s own glass of water. “Here’s to second chances and to those that deserve them.”

***

**Tell me something, girl**

**Are you happy in this modern world?**

**Or do you need more?**

**Is there something else you’re searching for?**

**I’m falling**

**In all the good times I find myself longing**

**For change**

**And in the bad times, I fear myself**

**Tell me something, boy**

**Aren’t you tired tryin’ to fill that void?**

**Or do you need more?**

**Ain’t it hard keeping it so hardcore?**

**I’m falling**

**In all the good times I find myself longing**

**For change**

**And in the bad times, I fear myself**

**I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in**

**I’ll never meet the ground**

**Crash through the surface, where they can’t hurt us**

**We’re far from the shallow now**

**In the shallow, shallow**

**In the shallow, shallow**

**In the shallow, shallow**

**We’re far from the shallow now**

**Oh, ohh**

**Oh, ohh**

**Ohhhh**

**I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in**

**I’ll never meet the ground**

**Crash through the surface, where they can’t hurt us**

**We’re far from the shallow now**

***

It had been two months since Jackson Maine had taken his own life, with the assistance of The Winter Soldier, of course, but the world didn’t know this.

The lyrics of a song were trapped in the mind of James Buchanan Barnes, playing in stereo repeatedly until he wished he could _actually_ go crazy. Then he wouldn’t have to remember. There were too many faces here, trapped with him. All of them only able to target _him_ because The Winter Soldier was separate from this. From the memories. He existed only in the _mission_ and in the _moment_.

James Buchanan Barnes had to exist in eternity in the corner of his own brain and never see sunlight again.

_He looked so betrayed. I didn’t want to do that to him! Why do you get to live in your bubble of ignorance and I have to live like this! Go back in the chair and break again! ANYTHING would be better than this!_

The Winter Soldier was called to the office of Alexander Pierce and he went, his unwilling mental captive with him as he went through the corridors. The Winter Soldier stopped as soon as he walked through the door, an emotion he couldn’t recognise as shock went through him.

The wife of the singer stood next to Alexander Pierce.

“Hold him.”

The other men in the room obeyed Alexander’s orders and grabbed his arms. The Winter Soldier had been given no commands so he held still, not fighting or using his metal arm to free himself. Until he had an order, The Winter Soldier would not do anything.

“We found him in our ranks, Ally. He was a fan of yours and hated your husband, wanted you for himself. I am so sorry that we were associated with this man, my dear. Had we known, we would have removed him from our employment.”

The wife of the singer sucked in a breath. “He killed Jack?!”

“Yes, this man killed your husband. Didn’t you?”

_Don’t answer! Don’t! He’s setting you up!_

“Yes. I killed your husband.” The Winter Soldier answered the direct question with the truth as he knew it.

“Why would you show this to me?!” Ally moaned, “I- I can’t d-do this-”

“Yes, yes you can. We will take care of everything. This man murdered your husband. Took him from you. Ally, my dear… this isn’t murder… this is you wiping the slate clean, finding your new beginning and removing old obstacles. You hold all the power now. Just take it.”

_Don’t listen to the charismatic bastard! I’m sorry! We’re sorry! We couldn’t help it! Pierce  was the one that killed your husband! We only follow his orders! HE’S USING YOU, TOO!_

The Winter Soldier/James Buchanan Barnes watched in total silence as Ally took the gun with shaking fingers and held it, clearly inexperienced with handguns.

“I- I can’t.”

“Your husband loved you. Went to rehab and got sober for you. And this man hung him from your garage like he was laundry that required drying and nothing more! We found bruises on his body that indicated beatings!”

_No, NO! We didn’t hurt him like that! We made him sleep and then-_

“He hurt him?!”

“Oh, yes. Then he threatened the medical team’s families so they wouldn’t put it in the report. Just say it was a suicide and that he had been drinking and taking pills beforehand. This man is a coward and a murderer.”

The grip on the gun became stronger. “Jack was sober? H-he d-didn’t-”

“No. Your husband wanted your life together as you planned it, new tours and a fresh start. Until this man took his second chance from him! Will you let him get away with that?!”

“Jack.”

That’s all Ally could say. The last word that The Winter Soldier/James Buchanan Barnes saw before she raised the gun and pointed it at his head.

_Maybe it is better this way. Pierce finally gave me a way out. I can stop drowning in these too shallow waters now._

The Winter Soldier didn’t move as the trigger was pulled. He hadn’t been ordered to.

**I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in**

**I’ll never meet the ground**

**Crash through the surface, where they can’t hurt us**

**We’re far from the shallow now**


End file.
